Walkout by SKM in Assembly

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Gangtok, June 27: The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha MLAs staged a walkout in the Assembly today to protest against alleged partiality by the Speaker who had expunged the remarks of party leader P.S. Golay in the House yesterday.

“Why was my remark on Thursday expunged from the records. I had raised my voice in the zero hour. There was no unparliamentary, defamatory or undignified word in my statement. I demand that my statement not be expunged and be recorded,” Golay said today before staging a walkout with other SKM MLAs.

Speaker K.N. Rai had removed Golay’s remarks from the records yesterday, saying the issue raised by the member was inappropriate.

After the walkout, Golay told journalists that the Speaker was behaving in a partial way in the Assembly. “We are in the Assembly because people have voted for us. But there is no democracy in the Assembly. There was no point staying in the House. The Speaker is partial. This is a sad day for the democracy,” he said.

The ruling SDF MLA, Beg Bahadhur Rai, said: “SKM MLAs are afraid that they will be exposed and questioned on many issues. That is why they walked out of the House.”